Food Club Network is a membership-based network group serving organizations that operate food club programs. Food Clubs are member-based grocery stores seeking to address food insecurity through consumer choice, member participation, and access to healthy foods.
Our core full members are nonprofits operating food club programs; other memberships are available for food banks, community foundations, and other organizations that address food security. The Food Club Network provides a platform for mutual learning, leverage, and advocacy for established Food Club operators and an accelerator for new Food Club programs.
VALUES
Collaboration and Transparency: We value working together as organizations operating food club programs to leverage our collective strength and shared knowledge.
Action and Impact Orientation: We are motivated by making a positive difference in each of
our organizations and communities by addressing food insecurity.
Informed Innovation: We value ongoing evaluation and research-based decision-making in empowering organizations operating Food Clubs to innovate in developing ever-more-impactful and efficient approaches to high-dignity access to nutritious food.
Honor for Local Contexts: Our inclusive, diverse network honors our independent member organizations and their local communities and contexts.
GOVERNANCE MODEL
We assume a membership-based network group with support staff (secretariat model). We assume a steering team, which from the outset comprises all full members and eventually may be elected representatives.
OUTCOMES
Food Club Network members agree that the primary intended participant outcomes of the operation of their and any food club model operation are to increase:
- Food security as measured by member households that report less frequently skipping
a meal or lacking adequate food to feed the household. - Healthy eating as measured by member households that report improved diet because
of their utilization of the food club. - Personal and/or financial stability as measured by member households who report improvement in their ability to meet their basic needs due to participation in the
food club.
Food Club Network members further share the goal of continual improvement around the food club model for the greatest benefit of any adopting community.
VALUES
Food Club Network members share the values below and commit to operating food-club-model services in alignment with the same:
- Community: Building and encouraging strong relationships in a friendly and
safe environment. - Dignity: Demonstrating and promoting mutual respect and appreciation.
- Consumer Participation: Encouraging a sense of ownership and engagement.
- Member-Centered: Ensuring a quality shopping experience with independent choices.
- Health: Providing accessible and affordable selection of healthy foods and nutritional education opportunities.
- Collaboration: Members, donors, and other sectors investing to ensure effective
program and financial stability. - Evaluation: Making informed decisions based on research and data.
- Equity: Creating an inclusive, diverse, and just organization that works to
reduce disparities.
STANDARDS
Food Club Network members agree that a food-club-model program is defined by standards including:
- Households accessing the program identify as being food insecure and/or having chronic food needs.
- A membership model wherein all members pay a small membership fee. Membership
fees shall not exceed 25% of revenue. - Membership fees will be accounted for separately and will be managed in full compliance with all relevant regulations and agreements.
- The members will be serviced in an inviting, efficient, accessible grocery store style experience held to the highest operational standards. Examples of “grocery-store style” include in the experience: check-out lanes, printed receipts, aisle signage, and point-of-sale software.
- The store has regular hours throughout the week to provide access with convenience and dignity, e.g., at least 20 hours a week spread over at least 5 days.
- Provide a wide range of food items, including fresh and nutritional fruits, vegetables,
dairy, and meat products. - Food is accessed via a points-based system that provides as much choice in shopping
visits and selections as possible. - Points shall be assigned based on a certain methodology, such as household size,
will be unrelated to cost or purchase of food. - Members will be free to use their points as they choose, selecting food that best fits
their households’ needs. - Members can shop multiple times during their membership to utilize their points.
- Healthier food choices are promoted via “pricing” mechanisms (point values assigned
to food categories based on health value) and other efforts.
The network defines standards of the Food Club model to provide focus for the network’s collaboration, not to limit or constrain individual network partners’ responsiveness to community needs. Each organization may develop adjacent or extension programs entirely separate from or building on the capabilities of their food club program.